Elderly care has gained recognition. Our reporter accompanied a shift in the retirement home. Her conclusion: care is a demanding job, even more in corona times.
Your shift begins at 6 a.m. with the handover by the night shift. Then it’s time to wake the elderly, wash and get dressed. “We are already looking a little at the different sleeping needs of our seniors, and the late riser is the last thing to do,” says the nurse and deputy nursing service manager, Nahrin Duman.
There is a lot to do in the morning at the Lindenhof, an extension to the senior housing complex on the Hubland that has been specially set up for dementia patients. It consists of four living areas, in which around seven people live together. Long, wide corridors, light-flooded rooms, walls decorated in friendly colors and a large garden are intended to give the elderly a homely feeling.
Photo: Katja Glatzer
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With the help of trained specialist staff, the seniors master their everyday life here and share joy and suffering. For example, there is a 95-year-old who loves proverbs, an 89-year-old who is a virtuoso in piano playing and a lady who always has her doll with her and cradles it back and forth like a real baby. The Lindenhof’s concern is not to put pressure on the residents, who sometimes lose their memory faster and sometimes more slowly. Because: Too many questions that sick people cannot answer are excruciating. Short-term memory is particularly affected, “they can remember more of what happened earlier,” explains Duman.
Create recognition value
The rooms are also lovingly furnished with antique furniture and utensils. This is also part of the concept so that the elderly have a recognition value, explains the Lindenhof nursing manager, Marcel Hendricks. The 27-year-old has only recently started working for the district’s municipal company. He started his new job on March 1st this year. “It was not easy. I came right in the middle of the corona crisis. It was a shock at first, especially since the highest risk group is at home in the retirement home,” he says.
Also when he looked at the two retirement homes in Würzburg, where there were corona outbreaks with many deaths, he became aware of “what responsibility there is on me.”
Photo: Katja Glatzer
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Already a week before the visitation contact in the home was restricted by the state government, he reduced the contacts from outside to the elderly and adjusted his staff to the special situation. As for the hygiene measures, it was not a major change for him and his colleagues, “because hygiene is always important to us, also because of other viruses and bacteria that could be dangerous for the elderly,” said Hendricks. Added to this were the masks, which are supposed to protect against an infection transmitted by droplets.
During the hot phase of Corona, attempts were made to separate the residents as much as possible. The senior citizens’ living groups were no longer allowed to be mixed, visiting relatives was taboo. Church services and the therapy or employment offers that are otherwise so important were also canceled. “There was a lack of understanding from some of the residents, and we kept comforting and calming us down,” says nurse Duman. Especially since many of the seniors always forgot that a virus was rampant due to dementia: “We have told this again and again carefully. Countless times.”
The staff organized video switching with relatives, wrote letters to the elderly and painted pictures, and there was one or two concerts outside that the residents could watch from the window. A difficult time. Hendricks and his team are grateful that no Corona case has yet reached their home. “We are confident that the numbers will drop, but we still have to be careful,” said the care provider. For example, he explained to his employees the importance of regular staff tests for the virus. “These are not mandatory, but everyone sees the need for testing.”
Visit with high circulation
Recently, visitors can finally come back – under high conditions. For this, Hendricks redesigned one of the large rooms on the ground floor and created space for five residents and one relative at five tables – with sufficient space and partitions between the tables. There is a mask requirement for visitors, hands must be disinfected when coming and going. And of course keep your distance: “Unfortunately, hugs and physical closeness are currently not possible.”
Photo: Katja Glatzer
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Stefan Volk is currently visiting his mother Hertha. It had noticeably reduced during the Corona period, he says. Because she had such a longing, the staff organized that she could see her son through the window now and then. “I am very grateful for that.” However, he also believes that the nursing homes could have reacted earlier to the corona situation. People knew what was coming up, Volk said. Now he is happy that there is an opportunity to visit and “my mother is blooming again”. Since the mask is gladly accepted.
“We are confident that the numbers will drop, but we still have to be careful.”
Nursing director Marcel Hendricks–
Mask wear for caregivers is more exhausting than “just” when visiting. A whole layer under the mask presents the staff with new challenges. “In the beginning I always had a headache when I got home in the evening,” says Hendricks. “You get used to it,” says nurse Duman. She finds it difficult that the elderly no longer see the facial expressions, “mouth movements, smiles, all of this is now missing for communication with people with dementia”. Those who hear more poorly also have an acoustically more difficult time. If the 24-year-old wants to take a deep breath, she goes to the duty room, “it has to be in between”. According to Corona, the retirement home will certainly have some concepts in terms of hygiene, distance and masks in the future, Hendricks adds. “We learned a lot from that.”
Photo: Marcel Hendricks
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Protection of residents
Protecting their residents is essential – the nursing staff agree on this. After all, the elderly are dear to them – and vice versa. “When someone dies with whom you have an intimate relationship, it’s very sad. You take that feeling home with you,” says Duman. Being able to feel empathy for others – that’s what makes the job: “Our seniors need the feeling of being liked and understood. In return, a lot will come back.”
The 24-year-old thinks that Corona suddenly makes her “systemically important” and society seems to understand how important her work is, but it would be even nicer “if it stays that way, not only in times of crisis”. This not only relates to an appreciation in the form of better salaries in the industry, but above all to the daily cooperation.
Photo: Katja Glatzer
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Singing and memory training
For the first time in many weeks, an employment program is now available at the Lindenhof. “The most important thing is to arouse the emotions of the elderly, for example with music or poems. Today you can sing again after long, hard weeks,” explains supervisor Elke Busack. She tries to encourage the elderly to participate. Some sleep or show no emotion, but a 95-year-old inserts: “Hello – Hello, nice to see you …” Also when it comes to completing the proverbs, she is at the forefront: Whoever is resting – “…. the rusts, “she calls and grins mischievously.
After lunch, with the carers helping, the resident Franke dresses up and gives a little concert at the piano. “If I had graduated from high school, I would have been an organ pianist,” he says several times in a row and shows himself proud. The living group is happy.
Photo: Katja Glatzer
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The shift changes at 1.30 p.m. Duman hands over the scepter to her colleague, clarifies events in the shift, medication income and visitor contacts. Another morning in Corona times went well and gives hope. Hope that bit by bit a bit of normalcy returns. For the elderly. And also for the nursing staff.
Municipal company of the district of Würzburg
The municipal enterprise of the district of Würzburg (KU) – an institution under public law – was founded in February 1998 by the district of Würzburg. In particular, he was given the tasks of hospital care, elderly care, waste disposal and local public transport.
Seven nursing homes and seven service residential complexes for senior citizens can be found under the umbrella of the Würzburg district’s senior citizens’ facilities. Among them is the senior housing complex on the Hubland, which also includes the Lindenhof housing unit.
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